Prayer of St. Francis Window

More Information

The St. Francis Window faces west and spends a proportion of the year
receiving direct sunlight and a further part of the year in the shade
due to the surrounding trees and elements of the church in which it is
situated. At night it is lit from without by flood lights which shine
on the church after dark and in all these circumstances, whether seen
from within, without or at any time of day or night, the window shows
a different character. The colours chosen - the blues in particular -
are traditionally regarded as being very spiritual in essence and were
used a great deal in Chartres Cathedral and many other places in the
medieval period. They resonate with the colours within and add to the
peace and tranquillity of the church.

The Artist – Catherine Pinnock - writes:

"Painting with light" is the description that the artist Lawrence
Lee, who produced the aisle windows of Coventry Cathedral, gave to the
act of producing a stained glass window. It is very apt as glass is a
highly kinetic medium with the changing seasons, weather and time of
day all having a profound effect upon the finished work and upon the
person who sees it. Glass is a wonderful medium for transcending what
we take for granted and lifting our experience to new heights.

The St. Francis Window is a rendition of the first lines of the Prayer
of St. Francis: "Lord Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace..." The
window depicts doves ascending or descending with outstretched hands
at the bottom and the words of the prayer etched into the glass as an
integral part of the whole.

The window uses blues and purples in English antique glass - a form
of glass made locally in nearby Alvechurch and the last remaining English
glass-making workshop in the country. In addition the more humble and
commonly available float glass is put to use - it has been taken and
kiln-formed to produce uniquely textured glass for the doves and hands.
The whole effect is one of rich colour and suggested motion which changes
with every alteration of light.

For more photographs and information on the designing and making of
the St. Francis Window go to the Ecclesiastical section of: